Seal



F. KEIDEL Doc. 3, 1929.

S EAL Filed Feb. 25, i929 jf j 542%@ 1517' 7 f6 la ATTORNEY liafcentedDec. 3, 1929 *UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK KEIDEL, F ELMHURST, NEWYORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE INTERNATIONAL SEAL AND IKNOT PROTECTOR CO., OF NEWYORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK suer.

rlhis invention is an improvement in seals ot that ltype in which thereare employed relatively movable parts which are folded around themembers to be sealed. The invention may be utilized for a wide varietyof articles, and the details of construction andthe design and relativeproportions of the parts may be varied within comparatively wide limitsin accordance with the character of the article or l@ articles to besealed, and within the scope of the appended claims.

In the specific construction illustrated in the accompanying drawingsthe parts are so designed and proportioned as to best adapt i5, thedevice for the securing together of a plurality of superposed layers offlexible material, such for instance as the neck portion of a cloth bag.Substantially the same type of constructionmight be employed forsecuring ne together a plurality of sheets of paper as a permanentbinder.

\ 1n the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a 'perspective view of a deviceembodying my invention, the parts being in ne open position.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section showing the parts in partiallyclosed position. Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2, but on aslightly larger scale, and showing the parts so in closed or lockedposition. l

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 oi Fig. 3.

lig. 5 is a section on the line 5*-5 of Fig. 4, an

Figs. 6 and 7 are transverse sections on the lines 6-6 and 7-7respectively of Fig. 3. r1`he construction illustrated is ormed substantially entirely of a single piece of sheet metal which includesthree main sections 10, 11 and 12, so connected that the sections may bemoved relatively to each other. The middle section 11, and one of theend sections, 10, are the gripping sections, in that they directly `holdtherebetween the material to b e clamped or sealed, while the other endsectionconstitutes a locking section in that it prevents the separationof the two gripping sections. The three sections are connected end toend, and each is of substantially channel 5U shape. r1`he end section 10has a web 13 and parallel side walls 14, which latter present thegripping teeth 15. The middle section 11 is somewhat similar in design,in that it has a web portion 16, side walls 17, and teeth 18 pro-Vjecting from and in the plane of the side walls. lIhe web 16 has anextension 19 be yond the end of the side wall 17, and a portion of thisextension forms an end wall 20 for the channel constituting the section10.

This end wall is set in from the extremities of the side walls 14, andthe said side walls have projections or lugs 21 beyond the plane of theend wall 2O so as to constitute a part of the locking feature referredto more in detail hereinafter. The web 16 is so connected to theextension 19 as to insure bendl ing along a predetermined line, whichmay be considered as a hinge. As shown, the web has an aperture 22whereby the web is wealtened at the end ot' the side walls 17, so thatwhen the sections 10 and 11 are moved relatively to each other, thecomparatively weak portions upon opposite sides of the aperture willcause the entire bending movement to take place atthis point.

The parts as delivered for use may be in the relative positions shown inFig. 1, and in use the section 10 is folded down on to the section 11 sothat the extension 19 forms an end wall for the channel constituting thesection 11.

At the opposite end of the middle section 11 there is the section`12which has a web 23 and side walls 24. This section is slightly widerthan the other two sections so that the section 13 may nest within thesection 10 when the parts are in sealing position. n The web 23 o1 thesection 10 is formed integral with the web 16 of the channel 11, therebeing an extension 25 on the web 16 and iornr' ing an end wall for thechannel of the section 12. The extension 25 has an aperture 26 deiningthe line oi bending as closely adjacent to the ends of the side walls17.

At the opposite end of the section 12 there is a casing which includesan end wall 27 and side walls 28, the latter constituting extensions ofthe side walls 24 of the channel. Within this casing there is provided aspring catch which includes a free end portion 29 im and a body portion30. This body portion is permanently secured to the channel 23 in anysuitable manner, as for instance by the action of lugs 31 struck fromthe web and extended through apertures in the body portion 30 of thespring, and gripping the inner surface of the latter as shownparticularly in Fig. 6.

The free end 29 of the spring is so positioned that it will engage withthe outer surface of the end wall 20 and the edges of this free endpresent lugs 32 which may snap past the projections or lugs 21 on theends of the side walls 14. Thus the end of the spring is disposedbetween the end walls 20 and 27 when the seal is in closed position, anddue `to the offsetting of the end wall 20 in respect to the extension19, the latter comes into direct contact with the end wall 27 andprevents the entrance of any tool for forcing the spring 29 outwardlyand freeing it from the projections 21. j

Likewise the shoulder between the parts 19 and 20 protects the end ofthe spring 29 so that if a thin instrument be inserted between the walls19 and 27 it cannot be used to pry out the end of the spring.

When' the parts are in closed position the end section 12 telescopeswith the end section 10, and thus thebent under ends of the lugs 31 areclamped between the webs 13 and 23. This prevents the opening of theseal by the bending of the lugs 31 and the separation of the spring fromthe locking section 12. To prevent the gripping section 10 from beingforced down out of the locking section 12, the side walls 14 and 17 ofthe two sections 10 and 11 may have wider portions 33 and 34respectively, which abut and limit t-he move` ment ofthe sections towardeach other.

The teethvor projections 15 and 18 may be modified as to number, sizeand spacing, in accordance with the character of the material which isto be sealed, and whether or not the teeth are intended to penetrate ormerely grip the material.

The connections between the three sections form hinges in that they havedefinite bend ing points. It will be obvious that in some 'constructionsit may be desirable to employ hinges at the opposite ends of the web 16,although this is not either desirable or necessary if the device is tobe used only once and to be broken on opening.

The seal illustrated is intended to be broken by inserting the end of ascrew driver or any such tool between the sections adjacent to eitherend, and'by applying suflicient pressure or bending strainA to break`the metal where it has been bent in applying the seal, that is, at thenarrow or fragile portions at the opposite sides 0f either the .aperture22 or the aperture 26, or both. The device is very easy to apply, inthat it is merely necessary to place the sheets, layers, or otherarticles or members to be sealed on the middle section 11, fold over theother gripping section 13, and then fold over the locking section 12.The parts when they reach final position-,will automatically interengageat the spring 32 and lugs 21 to prevent the opening of the seal. It willbe noted particularly from Fig. 2 that a compound leverage may bebrought to bear to force the gripping sections into engagement with thesheets or other articles to be sealed. Witli the parts in the positionshown in Fig. 2, downward pressure on the upper end of the section 12will apply pressure to the free end of the section 13 and force thelatter into linal position as the free end of the section 13 travelsalong the web of the section 12J As the entire device, aside from thespring, is formed of only a single piece of sheet metal, and as thedesign is simple, the device may be made at comparatively small expense,with simple dies,and a. very small number of die operations. The lowcost will permit it to be broken and thrown away after a single use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A seal including a strip of sheet metalcomprising three sections united end to end, and all of approximatelythe same length, said strip being hendable between said sections, two ofsaid sections comprising gripping members and the third section havingmeans for locking the free end thereof to 'the strip at a point adjacentto the bendable part between the two gripping sections.

2. A seal comprising a strip of sheet metal including three mainsections connected end to end, said strip being bendable at pointsbetween adjacent sections, two of said sections comprising grippingmembers, and the third section having a easing at the free end thereofadapted to receive the opposite end of the intermediate section.

3. A seal formed of a strip of sheet metal comprising three sectionsconnected end to end, one of the end sections being adapted to be foldedover the intermediate section to grip an article therebetween, and theother section being adapted to be folded over the first mentioned endsection, the free end of the second mentioned end section having meansadapted to interlock with the other two sections at the connected endsof the latter.

4. A seal formed of three strip sections connected to ether end to end,one of the end sections eing of substantially channel form and adaptedto receive therein the other end section when thel two end sections arefolded over the intermediate section.

5. A seal formed of three strip sections connected together end to end,one of the end sections being of substantially channel form and adaptedto receive therein the other ,end

section when the two end sections are folded over the intermediatesection, said first mentioned end section having at the free end thereofya catch adapted to engage and interlock with a portion of the secondmentioned end section when the two are insuperposed' and nestingrelationship.

6. A seal including three sections connected end to end, the two endsections being adapted to fold over the intermediate section insuperposed relationship, the end of the outer end section having meansfor interlocking with the adjacent end of the other end section toprevent opening movement of the sections after the seal has beenclosed.v

7 A seal comprising three metal strips connected end to end, each beingof channel shape in cross-section, and the seal being bendable at pointsbetween adjacent strips, one end strip having adjacent to its bendingpoint a projection, and the other end strip having adjacent to its freeend a catch for engaging said projection.

8. A seal comprising three strips connected together end to end, theseal being bendable at points between adjacent strips, one end striphaving a casing'at its free end with a spring catch therein, and meanson one of the other. sections for engaging said catch to lock the threesections in superposed or closed relationship.

9.` A seal comprising a sheet metal strip including three main sectionsconnected end to end by extensions of the intermediate section, each ofsaid extensions having a weakened portion determining the point ofbending of the intermediate portion in bringing the three sections tosuperposed relationship.

l0. A seal comprising three sections connected end to end, and each ofsubstantially channel shape in cross-section, the interme date sectionand one end section being'osubstantially the same width, and havingtheir side edges in the same planes and presenting gripping teeth, andthe other end section being of slightly greater width and adapted toreceive therein the other two sections when the three sections arefolded in superposed relationship.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 20th day of Feb., A. D. 1929.

FRANK KEIDEL.

